71st National Film Awards: Urvashi, Vijayaraghavan and Ullozhuku clinch top honours, but Malayalis still disappointed
The fact that two gifted Malayalam actors, Vijayaraghavan and Urvashi, have won two awards for their roles in the films Pookkaalam and Ullozhukku, respectively, is a happy occasion for Malayalis.
Last Updated: 08.09 PM, Aug 01, 2025
The 71st National Film Awards, which honoured 2023 films, were announced in New Delhi today (August 1). The fact that two veteran and gifted Malayalam actors, Vijayaraghavan and Urvashi, have won two awards for their roles in the films, Pookkaalam and Ullozhukku, respectively, is a happy occasion for Malayalis. Additionally, Ullozhukku bagged the Best Malayalam Film award much to their delight. Meanwhile, Malayalis have also expressed their displeasure with The Kerala Story's victory in the Best Director category.
Urvashi and Vijayaraghavan regarded deserving artistes
Both performers are regarded to be the most worthy winners of the award due to their diverse performances in several films over the years. However, their performances in Pookkaalam and Ullozhukku deserve a standing ovation. In Ullozhukku, Urvashi plays Leelamma, who, while coping with the death and postponed funeral of her son, looks to her pregnant daughter-in-law for new hope. She bagged the Best Supporting Actor (Female) category for this movie.
Meanwhile, in Pookkaalam, which is available for streaming on JioHotstar and OTTplay Premium, Vijayaraghavan plays Ittoop in the most realistic and heartfelt way winning his Best Supporting Role (Male) award. Christo Tomy's film Ullozhukku, which also stars Parvathy Thiruvothu in a pivotal role, is available to view on Amazon Prime Video. These Malayalis also received special mentions for 'Nekal – Chronicle of the Paddy Man' under the non-feature category and Best Editing for Midhun Murali (Pookkaalam).
The Kerala Story garners disappointment from Malayalis again
Following the announcement of the 71st National Film Awards winners, Malayalis expressed both joy and dismay.
While the news of well-deserved people like Urvashi and Vijayaraghavan has been praised and made people happy, the award-winning Hindi film The Kerala Story attracted attention towards the event's jury.
Numerous people have expressed their thoughts on this on social media and questioned the politics underlying this move of honouring a 'propaganda film'. Nonetheless, the judges told reporters that the movie was worthy of the award because of the research the makers did.
FAQs
Q: Where to stream Pookkaalam?
A: The heartfelt family drama is streaming on JioHotstar as well as OTTplay Premium.
Q: Where to watch Ullozhukku?
A: Urvashi's Ullozhukku is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Q: Why is Urvashi a popular South Indian actress?
A: She is a popular actress in South India because of her knack to connect with the audience. Her filmography includes both highly praised and commercially successful films in a variety of languages that appeal to audiences of all ages.